HELLO CHRISTINA / GOODBYE ZIPPI, WED 24JUN2015

Here's a throwback pic to a really good session that I had in the fall of last year at Churches. This Zippifish was so good that it made a tiny day of surf really shreddable. Photo courtesy of John Amador. 

Loc: Manhattan Beach

Time: 0830-1030

Crew: Bri, Christina

Conditions: 3 FT+, sunny, glassy, low tide, fast, broken up

     Surfline says that South Orange County is 3-4 FT+ Fair-to-Good. As much as I wish I could surf there, Bri doesn’t have the day off. Also, our friend Christina, who had moved to Australia MONTHS ago, is in town, surfing local this morning. Time to chum it up with old mates.

     Since CC said she’d paddle out around eight, Bri and I sleep in and plan to second-shift it. We score free parking on Highland and 29^th. Even though there’s a light onshore breeze, the water is still glassy. There’s activity. Three-foot lines are rolling in. We watch a longboarder draw a line on a fast right. The sky is blue. The air is hot. Looks like pure SoCal summer conditions to me.

     Hitting the sand, the lineup is crowded from Marine to 30^th Street. Vietnam Vet Mike, Toru, Miles, and a few of the 26^th Street Wrecking Crew is out. Those guys can be intimidating, so I know I won’t be surfing by them.

     Bri and I paddle out just north of the tower in front of the brickhouse, saying by to Toru as he catches one in past us. Surrounded by groms, we’re picky at first.

     Bri draws first blood and starts working the inside. I catch a left that has a shoulder. I do a check turn and pull off a small floater.

     Getting quality rides is hard. They’re out there, but it’s one of those right-place right-time sessions. There’s consistency in the windswell, but the lines are a bit broken up, and finding a good corner’s like playing the lotto.

     My best wave is a fast shouldery left. Going down the line, I see the open face before me. I go into a deep bottom turn and try to pull off a carving gouge. I pull it off, redirecting down the line and doing a closeout floater, but that’s it. One turn, and I’m pretty sure the turn felt better than it actually looked.

     Meanwhile, Bri’s doing well on the Becker. Going for the smaller inside waves, ones with good shape and shoulders.

     Christina paddles out at 0930, an hour after us. It’s nice to catch up. She has the blue Zippi back in her possession. She says she’s seen the pics of me and her board tearing it up on some tiny surf.

     She paddles for her first wave. It looks good from behind, but she gives up her paddle and pops up too early, getting left behind. She’s a little rusty, that’s all.

     The onshore wind starts to pick up, and the water goes choppy. Most of the crowd leaves. More sets start popping up out the back and bigger into the four-foot range. Still, it’s hard to get a good down-the-liner.

     We all catch up. CC tells us all the ins and outs about Australia, how it’s different, the things she misses, Whole Foods being at the top of her list.

     I ask if she can store her Zippifish with one of her friends since my garage is strapped for space. She says no problem.

     Bye bye, blue Zippi. We’ve had some good times together, but you’re too big, too easy to catch waves on, and I could use a board just like you, but much smaller for more performance. I’ll have a special place in my heart for you always.